Is it common for cukes and watermelons to get a slow start?

HighlanderNorthJune 10, 2014

I decided to grow my watermelons and cucumbers from seed this year. Turns out I had a 1/2 seed packet of lemon cucumbers from last year, so I sprouted them in 2" x 2" market packs on May 6th in garden soil. They came up, grew the first level of oval leaves, then began growing the first regular shaped leaf on each plant when I transplanted them into the ground. They were about 3" tall at that time. That was roughly 3 weeks ago, and the temps were in the mid 50's to low 70's until just last week when it went up to the high 70's to mid 80's around here. I looked at the plants yesterday, and they are maybe 7" tall with about 3 levels of primary leaves, but they have not yet fallen over and started growing like a vine yet.

Next the watermelons. I bought Orangleglo watermelon seeds on May 21st, sprouted them in wet paper towels, moved them outdoors to the final growing spot about 2 days after the roots broke out of the seeds, about May 26th. There were no leaves yet showing, only a 1/2" long root. I planted them about 1.5" deep under a mix of garden soil and regular soil, and a little mulch. I looked at them yesterday(6/9/14), and they are showing the first oval leaves and the first primary leaves and are about 2.5" tall now.

Is it normal for cukes to take about 5 weeks from seed to 7" tall plants when the temps are at or below 74 degrees F for 3 weeks, and is it normal for watermelons to take 19 days from seed to 2.5" tall with 1 primary leaf level at those same temps?

They'll start taking off once the weather warms up. I've noticed they don't grow too much when the weather is in the 70's. Once its consistently at least in the mid 80's they should start growing quicker. Mine were doing the same thing until we started warming up.

What are 2" x 2" market packs? The cukes seem a bit slow for 5 weeks. OTOH the watermelons seem on schedule since you only planted them a couple of weeks ago. My only thought about the cukes was that they were in some sort of peat cup and getting root bound.

I'm considering replanting my cukes. They are tiny, tiny, tiny. I planted early May and then we had a few nights of 40 degree temps. Since they are so small I don't think I'll lose much growing time by reseeding, and they might even do better now that we are consistently warm.

I think I'm in the same boat with my Little Leaf cukes, seed originally bought in 2011, only maybe 30% germination. Summer squash are doing better, but the cantaloupe and slicing cukes aren't coming up either. Seeded Mem Day, have had temps mostly in the 70's since then but a few 80's and some nights below 50. But warming up next week.

Beans are germinating nicely, those were seeded a few days later. Wish I knew what I did with my soil thermometer!

OK, I was back over there today(2 days after posting this thread) and its generally been in the low 80's for the last few days, but only 70 today. However, the recently warmer weather has seemingly caused them to start growing. They appeared to be at least 2 inches taller than 2 days earlier, and they appear to be a bit wider, meaning that I believe their primary leaves are growing larger finally.

I had grown standard Burpee burpless cuke plants in 2011 from market packs bought at Home depot, and they were small when planted, and with them I bought a single pack that had like 6 separate cuke plants all close together in that standard store market pack, so I carefully separated them, and planted them. But it took like 2 weeks before I noticed any significant growth from them at that time, even though I planted those plants in early June in one of the hottest summers om record. But once they finally started growing, they really took off!

You cannot push cucumbers. Even If you plant store bought seedling with few true leaves , plant them but if your weather is cool, they will just sit there and if it was too cold they will get cold stress and might not fully recover. (Lots of IFs. Call it iffy.hehe)

I had worse problem this year. The cucs did not grow at all despite good temps. I planted some more seeds later. Those are now several feet while the original seedlings are still sitting at few inches. Same soil, same food, same water, same seed.